Best ever performance in a movie

The following are extracts from two threads requesting contributors to suggest the best ever film performances. This exercise demonstrates four truths above all:

This is a highly subjective choice. Opinions differ wildly, and while in my view many of the suggestions are bizarre as they are inaccurate, the views of any other person are no less relevant or true to the people concerned, be they critics or punters.

Opinions change over time, and performances either mature into greatness or diminish into insignificance.

There is a difference between good (as with most of the performances listed) and truly great, memorable performance that stand out in the history of cinematic endeavour.

The proportion of biopic performances within the list is notable.

Natually, there are plenty of lists available online, so look here, here, here and here for a few more opinions – but I stick with my own preferences, in no particular order:

Spacey – American Beauty

Hoffman – Capote

Abraham – Amadeus

Cotillard – La Vie En Rose

Nicholson – OFOTCN

Rush – Shine

Hackman – Conversation

Brando – Godfather

Welles – Kane

Sellers – Being There

De Niro – Raging Bull

Downey – Chaplin

Langella – Frost/Nixon

Burton – WAOVW

Swanson – Sunset Boulevard

Davis – All About Eve

Welles – The Third Man

Peck – To Kill A Mockinbird

Poitier – ITHOTN

Johnson – Brief Encounter

Hopkins – Remains Of The Day

Thompson – Wit

Thompson – Saving Mr Banks

Day Lewis – My Left Foot

Manville – Another Year

Ganz – Downfall

Kinski – Aguirre, Wrath Of God

Fassbender – Hunger

What would be your choice as the greatest performance of any actor in any movie?

Ian RobathanExcellent question, may say Liam Neeson in Schindler’s list is very close for me.

Kaitlynn LakeCan we take a moment and praise David Harbour for his portrayal of “Ray” in A Walk Among the Tombstones? And Ted Levine for his portrayal of “Jame Gumb/Buffalo Bill” in the Silence of the Lambs

Hayden Hinton-DeschnerAlan, I don’t know about his portrayal of Max Cady. I liked it but always thought it was a bit cartoonish to be sinister. I thought he was nothing compared to Robert Mitchum’s performance of “don’t fuck with me” attitude.

Alan BordenHayden Hinton-Deschner I wasn’t asking you if you liked it. I like it. Thats the great thing about film… it’s all subjective. Like for example, I don’t think Sigourney did anything special in aliens …but you do.

Hayden Hinton-DeschnerAlan, as did you! You gotta love some Oldman playing Stansfield! As you can tell by my list, I completely agree with Oldman being up there. In Léon when he came on screen he stole it.

Robert GertzLesser mentioned ones these days-Tom Hellmore as Gavin Elster in “Vertigo”. Brilliant. Charles Laughton in “Hobson’s Choice”. A delight. Ernest Theisinger as Dr. Septimus Praetorius in “The Bride of Frankenstein”. A howl. Janet Gaynor and George O’…See More